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Sandy Hook families bring emotion to gun-control debate

By Nedra PicklerThe Associated Press

Posted:
04/07/2013 12:01:00 AM MDT

Updated:
04/07/2013 02:13:57 AM MDT

Neil Heslin, the father of Jesse, a 6-year-old boy who was slain in the Sandy Hook massacre in Newtown, Conn., carries a picture of his son prior to testifying in January on Capitol Hill. (Associated Press file)

WASHINGTON — Bringing their emotional advocacy to the national gun debate, families of those killed in the Connecticut school shooting are appearing with President Barack Obama and walking the halls of Congress to plead for stricter regulations.

They already have helped push through the nation's most restrictive firearms law, which Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, D-Conn., signed Thursday.

With no lobbying background and fueled by the power of their emotions, a group of Sandy Hook Elementary School families can take credit for helping shape the measure as it moved through the state Legislature.

Now they're trying to do the same in Washington, where gun legislation is facing tough resistance. Congress is returning from spring break, and Newtown, Conn., families plan to spend the coming week on Capitol Hill.

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Their goal of their personal appeals is to speak to every senator who has yet to express support for the gun legislation and to show how the Dec. 14 shooting has affected their lives.

"I'm not a constitutional scholar, and I'm not a Second Amendment specialist," David Wheeler, who lost his 6-year-old son, Benjamin, said in a telephone interview.

"I don't know the ins and outs of gun policy, but I know ...," his voice trailed off as a sob catches in his throat. "But I now know one of the things that no father should ever know. And in our system of representative government, we have to use our voices."

The families of the 20 children and six staff members killed in the December shooting are a diverse group politically. They include gun owners, and Democrats and Republicans. They don't always agree on gun policy.

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One father — Mark Mattioli, who lost his 6-year-old son, James — attended a National Rifle Association news conference last week to endorse a proposal to train school staffers as armed security officers.

Relatives of nine victims have come together with a nonprofit group called Sandy Hook Promise to sign a letter sent Thursday to senators. It asks them to vote to expand background checks for gun purchases, strengthen laws against gun trafficking and ban ammunition magazines with more than 10 rounds.

Nicole Hockley wonders whether her 6-year-old son, Dylan, might be alive today if shooter Adam Lanza hadn't been able to carry 10 magazines that held 30 rounds each into the school that day.

Lanza was able to fire 154 shots during a four-minute rampage in the school. But he stopped shooting briefly in Dylan's classroom to reload, giving 11 children time to escape.

"They ran for their lives," Hockley said. "Dylan was not so fortunate. If there were lower-capacity magazine clips, there's a chance Dylan would be here with me today."

Bill Sherlach's wife, Mary, a school psychologist, died as she rushed toward Lanza. Sherlach said he tells lawmakers about the bravery displayed by his wife and the other school staffers, and he asks, "Can you show the same courage in your vote today?"

As powerful as their personal pain comes across, it might not be enough to overcome Congress' strong tradition of protecting gun rights. The prospects for barring large-capacity magazines are difficult, and senators have yet to reach a deal to expand background checks.

Sandy Hook families sat in the front row during a March 28 event at the White House, where Obama prodded Congress to pass his proposals.

"Less than 100 days ago, that happened, and the entire country was shocked," Obama said. "And the entire country pledged we would do something about it and that this time would be different. Shame on us if we've forgotten. I haven't forgotten those kids."

Obama plans to meet with Newtown families Monday when he travels to Connecticut for a speech at the University of Hartford Sports Center, close to the Capitol where the governor signed sweeping new gun restrictions into law Thursday.

Nicole Hockley stood over the governor's left shoulder as he signed the law. She says she would much rather be waiting for Dylan to come home from school each day.

"This is incredibly new to me and certainly not anything I ever expected to be doing in my life," she said.

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